


Under the Cataclysm

by Stafngrimr793



Series: Stories from Stafngrimr [1]
Category: Valdemar Series - Mercedes Lackey
Genre: Gen, Non-Canon Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-07
Updated: 2019-04-30
Packaged: 2019-10-06 06:25:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17340227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stafngrimr793/pseuds/Stafngrimr793
Summary: A supposition story about an Adept who was a friend and ally of Urtho's, and the forest cats she transformed/uplifted. This is only the start and is subject to revision/expansion. A small 1st effort.Klarin Artisdottir is a mage who resides in the forest well north of Urtho's tower.The H'Toohf are forest cats known in their natural state as Sylvynx, which she has partially uplifted by giving them human level intelligence and limited Mindspeak to help her guard what she sees as her domain. The H'Toohf still think of themselves as Sylvynx, but of a Pride that has a name. H'Toohf was the senior male of the largest pride.The location of her cabin is very near where the Tayledras later created K'Sheyna Vale. Her workshop and warehouse complex become the ruins where Treyvan and Hydona set their lair.She has just returned from Urtho's Tower, where he informed her about the poisoning, and the weapon that he was sending to destroy Ma'ar via Skandranon. He also told her about the full effects he expected from both that and his death.Another of Klarin's Gifts is the ability to erect extremely powerful shields out to a league from herself.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> The Valdemar setting is the property of Mercedes Lackey and is used without express permission, but under Creative Commons License as explained by her over time.
> 
> This work is a piece of derivative fan fiction and not for publication beyond this forum.
> 
> I sent the above to her, and got the nod about its adequacy.

Under the Cataclysm

Klarin Notes and Story

Klarin Amisdottir, born in the year 148 pre-Cataclysm, was an Adept whose gifts lay in the areas of Mind Speech (human and animal), healing and shaping nature, including helping animals develop into more intelligent forms able to communicate. She was also able to Far-hear, Far-see, erect Gates and very powerful Shields, as well as protect herself with Levin bolts, fire balls and gale force winds. Once in a while she could Fore See, but it was erratic and came without warning.

Her parents were Kaled’a’in. Her father was a cavalryman and her mother was a healer.

She had a small holding where she spent most of her time, very modest compared to any other Adept. Upon it were a small cottage, spring house, root cellar, storage shed and a large barn, where she cared for the animals within range of her place.

The cottage was simple, containing her sleeping, eating, sitting and cooking areas, plus a pantry. It was north of Urtho’s tower, about 1/3 of the way to the Tantaran royal palace.

A furlong south of there was an old stone structure that housed her workshops and store rooms. Beneath it was a node of Earth energies, fed by several undergrounds “streams” of these energies. In a room above the node was a permanent gate.

A few paces to the side of the cottage were two old oaks, the branches of which intertwined and form an arch large enough for 4 horses to come through side by side, with a rider atop, with several hand spans to spare. This was her preferred anchor for Gating.

While Klarin liked visiting and working with Urtho, she preferred being in the forest with her animals. She was by nature and desire, a hermit.

To patrol and help protect her home area, Klarin modified three prides of Sylvynx, large forest cats, giving them human intelligence, the ability to Mind-speak (each other and humans), and the rudiments of a language so they could communicate more clearly. She also encouraged them to develop and preserve their history by teaching Lore Keepers.

During the war between Urtho and Ma’ar, Klarin and the H’Toohf (as the cats came to call themselves) tried to make their forest a dangerous place for any of Ma’ar’s ground units. Klarin’s ability with Shielding greatly aided this effort as they were powerful, but did not appear to lesser adepts.

Urtho summoned her to his tower. He warned her that he had been poisoned and was dying. He also told her of the weapon that Skandranon was to sneak into Ma’ar’s throne room, and what the effect of the death of both of them would bring. Klarin was able to shield the H’Toohf and other animals within about 2 furlongs of her hut. Her power was augmented by the node.

When she died, and her cairn fused into a monolith, the Final Release of her powers form a small node under the stone.

In later years, this node attracted the attention of the Tayledras and K’Sheyna Vale was founded over it.

 

 


	2. Chapter One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Notes and a little bit of story

Under the Cataclysm

Chapter Notes…story starts in 1000 BF, estimating late Late Summer

 **Chapter One** : Klarin has just returned from a meeting with Urtho. He explained his Final Strike tactic to destroy Ma’ar and the effect that his death will have at the Tower. He gives her 4 days warning.

When Klarin returns to her demesne, she is tired, but not as badly as if she’d had to create a Gate from her own energies. Urtho let her use his personal Gate just off his main work room, which connected to her permanent Gate near the small cottage she preferred as her quarters.

She has a second permanent Gate within the stone structure containing her workshops and storerooms.

She puts out a Mind Call to the elders of the enhanced Sylvynx (proto-H’Toohf, who she calls Sylv’edrin, Children of the Forest), asking them to come for a meeting. They arrive over the course of the next 2 – 3 candlemarks, giving her time to eat, wash and gather her wits.

She explains in terms they can understand that a Great Storm is coming and she will do her best to protect them. She tells them to gather their prides and get into her workshop structure and the cellars beneath it. She does her best to calm their fears of being out of sight of the Sun and Sky.

Over the days of grace, she and the cats cooperate on hunting as much game as they thought they’d need for a month or two. The carcasses were stored in a room she has ensorcelled to keep the meat fresh. She also modifies one room to dispose of any waste materials, bodily or otherwise.

Seven prides gather under her protection, as well as 3 prides of unchanged Sylvynx and settle into the rooms and cellars. She is saddened the four Sylv’edrin prides furthest away were unable to make it to the safe haven. She senses they are still many leagues out and sends a warning for them to den up where possible.

The last day comes and 2 candlemarks before deadline Urtho gave her, she sees a warning he agreed to send, in her scrying bowl. After making sure all her cats are settled, she uses a bit of power to send them into hibernation.

Klarin then erects shields over and around the structure, extending out a little over 3 furlongs (total about 280 acres) from her main work room at the center. They are powered by an energy node she had created under the structure.

She then puts herself into a state of semi-hibernation, where her body is in stasis, but her consciousness can monitor what is happening around the protected area.

When the Cataclysm hits, her efforts are successful. The Cataclysm leaves her in a state of great fatigue, but she goes a little deeper into a restorative state.

 

 


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter notes and a little story

**Chapter Two** : (999 BF) Klarin senses that things are as safe as they might be after such a tremendous release of Magic, a little over 6 months after the Great Storms. She brings herself to full consciousness. Over the course of the next few days, she slowly brings the Sylv’edrin and Sylvynx to full consciousness, too.

She and the pride elders make sure all are fully healthy, none are worse for the time spent hibernating. All are hungry and the preserved meat is satisfying. Within hours the cubs and younglings are playing in the largest of the empty chambers under the watchful eye of their mothers.

Klarin expends a little energy to help keep them all settled with being underground a while longer.

She then decides a look around outside is in order, gathers the help she wants. As she, the 14 Sylv’edrin elders, their 20 most experienced scouts and 6 of the Sylvynx males come out the main entry, the sky is partly cloudy. It is early spring.

After scanning things as best she can from within the shields, she lowers the densest set, leaving safety shields in place as she senses rogue eddies of magic energy swirling in the area.

She is relieved to see the forest within her shields is unaffected. First task, the scouts make a thorough survey of the protected area. They confirm to Klarin that all is well within bounds.

While the reconnoiter is being done, she and the elders agree that the scouts will split into two groups and make sure the members of each party will keep eye contact with each other, which will be fairly easy as they see the forest beyond the shields have been devastated by the blast of Urtho’s Final Act. The scouts will each have 3 of the Sylvynx, with whom they are able to Mind Speak, as advance scouts.

The next morning, a little after dawn, she instructs them to range out, one group east, the other west, until high noon and then work their way back. They will do a north-south sweep the next day, then northeast-southwest and northwest-southeast on the days after that.

At the end of the first day, the scouts report back that some animal life is returning, including prey animals. They also say there are some strange creatures and plant growth, none of which seem to be a danger as yet. Klarin senses they were able to range out around 4 leagues.

On the second day, the southbound group comes back just before High Noon. Their jumbled mass of thoughts containing both fear and wonder.

Klarin and the elders get them settled down and listen with mixed emotions by their description of the vast hole in the world where the forest and fields surrounding Urtho’s tower used to be. They describe it as being deeper than the tallest trees before the Great Storms and further across than they can see.

The next day, Klarin, the elders, scouts and Sylvynx males go to the south and find the rim is only 3 furlongs south of the extent of her shields. She has the 2 scout teams go along the rim until they sense the sun has gone past high noon, and then return.

The report is the same as the day before.


	4. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Notes and a bit of story

**Chapter Three** : For the rest of the year and much of the next, Klarin and the Sylv’edrin secure a comfortable area around the shielded area.

In early Mid Fall (998 BF), Klarin begins feeling her true age and tells the Sylv’edrin, and allied Sylvynx, that her time is nearing. She directs them in building a cairn, where her body is to be placed after death. She is able to help them with larger pieces of rock by levitating them.

At Midwinter, on a calm, unseasonably warm day, Klarin goes outside to watch the latest litter of cubs playing in the thin layer of new fallen snow in front of the main entry.

She mind calls H’Toohf, the eldest of the Sylv’edrin and places her hand on his shoulder when he joins her on the portico overlooking the play area.

: _Old friend, my Time is near_.:

: _Do you hear the voices of your forebears Little Mother?_ :

: _That, and the voices of Others_.: she replied, : _I think tomorrow, I shall go into the Final Den, and take my rest_.:

: _We shall miss you, Little Mother_ ,: H’Toohf said as he rubbed his cheek against her hand. : _The People will remember you so long as one of us draws breath_.:

: _We will let the others know as we gather for the evening meal_.: she smiled, : _I think I will sleep with the cubs tonight_.:

Klarin and H’Toohf stood there, watching the future of the prides tumbling about. Also, she was spinning energy from the node into the protective shield around what the Sylv’edrin had taken to calling the Big Den.

: _H’Toohf, from tomorrow on, you, the other elders and the scouts must seek other dens so the People are not clustered together. I think there will come a time when the Kaled’a’in return to try and reclaim the Land Below_.: she stilled his return thoughts, : _You must remain a mystery to them until many, many turns of the Sun have gone by, for they may think you a danger_.:

: _From what you have shared with me of your fellow Two Legs, I can see why you warn me so_.: the big cat replied, : _For all that you say they hunt and make war, it seems they still are somewhat prey at heart, striking out in defense before learning_.:

She chuckled at the image of herself as a carnivorous deer, : _Ah, H’Toohf I will miss you. That is a good way of thinking of them.  I almost See, at the edge of my Vision a time when it will be safe for you and the two Legs to become allies. One of us will find your descendants, help them learn more and to find community with others of their kind, and with humans_.:

: _Others of our kind?_ :

: _I see a vast sea of grass, the others are of cats who hunt among the grasses_.: Her eyes were slightly out of focus, : _They are known to Two Legs who ride upon herd beasts my kind call horses, and seem to have a truce with the cats_.:

“ _The Great Storms will come again, after that, will be the Time…_ : her thoughts trailed off and she fell against H’Toohf, catching herself from falling by grabbing his neck.

: _Little Mother, Klarin…_ : He reared up, dragging her to her feet.

: _So tired, H’Toohf, help me to my bed so I might rest before evening meal_.:

Together they stumbled into the building and H’Toohf let the dreadfully tired looking mage down onto her blankets. : _Wake me at sunset old friend_.:

: _I will, Little Mother, I will_.:


End file.
